Ortega Highway Crash Kills Murrieta Man, CHP Releases Details

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A crash over the weekend on the Ortega Highway highway near Lake Elsinore left a Murrieta motorcyclist dead, and the California Highway Patrol said excessive speed was to blame.

Despite life-saving measures from Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and the CHP, Javier Hernandez Segura, 34, died at the scene just after 11 a.m. Sunday at 32107 state Route 74. The address is the Lookout Roadhouse, east of South Main Divide.

According to the CHP, Segura was riding east on the highway aboard his 2006 Suzuki GSX-R bike when he smashed into the back of a stopped 2008 Econoline van driven by a 52-year-old San Clemente man. The van driver was waiting for westbound traffic to clear so he could make "a legal left turn" into a parking area, according to CHP Officer Mike Lassig.

The Lookout Roadhouse is a popular Ortega Highway destination for motorists.

Witnesses at the scene told the CHP that the motorcyclist was traveling in excess of 80 mph when he approached the area, Lassig said.

Segura's "unsafe speed" caused him to hit the back of the van and he was ejected from his bike, Lassig continued.

The van driver was not hurt and no arrests were made. The crash remains under investigation by the CHP.

As the weather warms, more motorcyclists take to riding on the Ortega, Lassig said. To maintain safety, all motorists are advised to obey speed limits and keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.